Malachi

Chapter 3

The Lord’s messenger will prepare the way for the Second Coming—The Lord will sit in judgment—The people of Israel are commanded to pay tithes and offerings—They keep a book of remembrance.

1 Behold, I will asend my bmessenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly ccome to his dtemple, even the emessenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

3 And he shall sit as a arefiner and purifier of silver: and he shall bpurify the csons of dLevi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an eoffering in righteousness.

4 Then shall the offering of aJudah and Jerusalem be bpleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 And I will come near to you to ajudgment; and I will be a swift witness against the bsorcerers, and against the cadulterers, and against dfalse swearers, and against those that eoppress the hireling in hisfwages, the gwidow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the hstrangerfrom his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

7 ¶ Even from the days of your afathers ye are gone away from mine bordinances, and have not kept them.cReturn unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

9 Ye areacursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the atithes into the storehouse, that there may be bmeat in mine house, and cprove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not dopen you the ewindows of heaven, and pour you out a fblessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will arebuke the bdevourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

13 ¶ Your words have been astout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

14 Ye have said, It isavain to serve God: and what bprofitis it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

15 And now we call the aproud happy; yea, they that work bwickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

16 ¶ Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a abook of bremembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

17 And they shall be amine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my bjewels; and I will cspare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

18 Then shall ye return, and adiscern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.